


Vertigo

by like_water_through_a_sieve



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Draco runs away to privet drive, Fluff, Genderqueer Character, Genderqueer Draco Malfoy, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, POV Draco Malfoy, Queer Themes, They/Them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27589492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/like_water_through_a_sieve/pseuds/like_water_through_a_sieve
Summary: I've always found myself a bit different to everyone else - perhaps that's why I found it so easy to fall head over heels for a muggle boy with sweet brown eyes... without thinking of the consequences.
Relationships: Dudley Dursley/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Vertigo

“Potter! Potter!” I shouted across the place full of muggle contraptions on wheels. A red one with an ugly young man inside almost hit me as I desperately to get to the boy who lived.

Finally he heard me and turned around.

“Malfoy?” Potter said and I thought I must look dreadful for him to not even glare at me. I stopped in front of him and tried to catch my breath and self consciously ran my hand down the long plaited hair that ran down my back.

Potter clicked his tongue. “What do you want, Malfoy?”

Now that was a long question to answer... so I settled on the simplest truth. “I need somewhere to stay.”

“I’m sure the Leaky has a spare room” Potter bit and turned away but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Potter. I need to stay with _you_.”

“Oh and why’s that?” He retorted.

" _Because_ your house is the only place death eaters can’t get into. As I am on the run from death eaters this seems like a good plan”

Suddenly the machine behind Potter made a horrible beeping noise and a horrible and fat man shouted “Get in the car, boy! I’m not waiting around all day.”

Potter sighed exasperatedly at me which was rather rude of him in my opinion. “Look Malfoy just fuck off. If you’re telling the truth then I’m sorry but my relatives would never let you stay. I advise you to go to Dumbledore and ask him to take you to a safe house or...” Potter continued but I had already come up with my own plan. If it was his relatives that were the problem...

I went up to the half open glass of the muggle machine and peaked in at the fat muggle man inside.

I raised my mother's wand and said clearly “ _Confundo._ ”

The man's eyes went blank for a second before he peered up at me bemusedly but not aggressively.

I put on my best charming smile and gushed “Thank you ever so much for letting me stay at your house for the summer, sir.”

"You’re welcome, my boy, get in”

Potter got in first and then I followed. Then I experienced the worst half an hour of my life for he death trap muggles call transportation was ghastly and I only just managed to wait until we had arrived before being sick.

The house was small and quaint but terribly terribly plain. _Oh well_ , I thought, _I've always enjoyed sticking out like a sore thumb_. Before we went into the house Potter whispered to me “No magic in the house or the ministry will be here in a second. Trust me.”

I frowned, giving up magic was not something I wanted to do, but still I nodded in acquiescence.

I soon met Potter’s aunt and his cousin, the latter of which looked at me a little too long. It surprised me that I didn’t mind a muggle looking at me as much as I thought I would and I mentally gave myself a pat on the back. _At this rate I'll be fighting for dumbledore_ , I thought with a grimace.

Potter took me up to his tiny room and I resigned myself to a night on the uncushioned floor.

However, that night I could not sleep at all I knew it wasn’t because of the lack of comfort. The memories this morning kept replaying in my head until I was sure I would go absolutely crazy if I stared at the beige ceiling for one more second.

At 2 am I finally had enough of Potter’s snores and I crept down to the kitchen/living room. I sat on the window sill and looked up to the half moon and thought of my beautiful home in Wiltshire with its luscious gardens and magnificent paintings. A tear fell down my face. Curse that monster! Coming into my home and shrouding it in darkness.

I must have wept for a good ten minutes before I felt a glass of water being thrust into my hands. Without thinking I took a sip before looking up to see who it was from. The muggle boy stood in front of me with a slight blush on his cheeks.

“I- uh- always get dehydrated when I cry” He stuttered.

“Thanks” I said and took another sip while the boy leaned against the wall by the window. His tawny brown hair looked golden in the moonlight and his muscular frame more vulnerable.

“Umm, can I ask you a question?” He said looking at the floor.

“Yeah sure” I said though I was absolutely not sure at all.

“Are you a boy or a girl?”

A smile escaped onto my face despite the wetness on my cheeks. I couldn't help it, that has always been my favourite question.

“Neither” I told him and smirked at his bemused expression “I’m just me, y'know. Draco Malfoy.”

“But what... what’s in your pants?”

“Does that matter?” I raised an eyebrow.

His brows furrowed and he scratched the back of his neck “I guess not”

I smiled at him and he smiled back. “My pronouns are they/them but I don’t mind he/him and she/her terribly- you do know what pronouns are don’t you?”

He shook his head.

“You know how you’d say _his_ name is John or _she_ likes sports. For me you’d say _their_ name is Draco, _they_ like sports”

“Oh okay” The muggle boy said, nodding. I thought it was awfully cute the way he scrunched up his face in concentration, how all of his thoughts were plastered clearly on his face. A good pureblood would never give such valuable information away.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think you ever told me your name”

“Oh it’s Dudley, Dudley Dursley. He...” He trailed off.

“Him?” I asked.

He smiled and nodded “He/him”

Taking a sip of water I considered the nice boy standing across from me and wondered if this adventure was going to be that bad after all. Then he asked the question I'd originally been dreading.

"Why did you run away?"

My smile dropped and my heart thudded. It must have been evident on my face because he backpedaled and said in a rush "I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want"

Normally I would have taken that opportunity to back out readily but for some reason that night at 2am I really wanted to tell somebody.

"My family work for this man, this horrible monster of a man - the one who's been attacking your cousin forever. And well they wanted me to join him as well, I could tell when I saw my father at the door... so I ran"

When my mother had apparated me from the platform and to the gates of Malfoy Manor I immediately knew something was wrong. My father stood outside surrounded my dead flowers, the sky seemed greyer then on the train and there was no sound of birds or anything just the whistling of the wind through the bare branches.

“Draco” My father had said “Our guest is wanting to meet you.”

I shook my head in alarm and took out my wand in a shaking hand but it was immediately expelled from me and to the hand of my father.

“Come now Draco, this is very important for our family.”

I wanted to scream. Wasn’t it that monster that caused him to go to Askaban and my mother to fall into a depression? Weren’t all those cuts on his face from that monster too, too deep to hide with spells?

“No” I told him with as much conviction as I could. I snatched my mother’s wand right from her hand. I then apparated to Kings Cross and thanked the gods that I had become bored last summer and learn how to apparate. There I ran without anything but the clothes on my back and my mother’s wand in my hand.

"That must have been hard, running away from your family" Dudley mused.

I shrugged "They weren't a very nice family"

He shook his head "That's not the point, my family is not a very nice family and yet it would kill me to leave them"

I blinked my eyes and willed the tears not to spill again but then I was wrapped up in big arms and I crumbled. When my eyes dried I snuggled my head in his shoulder and stifled a yawn. He chuckled. We decided to call it a night.

“See you, Dudley” I said at the top of the stairs.

“See you Draco”

We didn’t end up seeing each other for another two weeks. In fact I didn’t end up seeing much of anyone for those two weeks. Potter would make food for the muggles and then make two small plates for us two which we’d eat in his room. We wouldn’t talk but I hadn’t much cared for becoming friends with the golden boy anyway. After breakfast he would go out for the day, just to escape the four walls I think. Dudley did as well. I went with Potter on one of the days to get some books from the library to read but I spent the whole time looking over my shoulder, convinced someone was watching me. I didn’t go again.

I thought of him a lot though. I couldn't understand how a muggle could be so captivating. I was sure I had gone mad but then I would catch a glimpse of him walking outside and all those thoughts of magic and muggles and purity and traitors all washed away.

It was two weeks later that something interesting happened. I was sitting on Potter’s bed reading Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, which was quickly becoming my favourite book of all time, while Potter read a letter by his desk. Then the soft tapping of an owl filtered through the room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Potter rise to get it but I went back to my book. The letter was obviously not for me so I didn’t care.

Until Potter gasped.

I looked up.

“What is it?”

“Dumbledore says he’s picking me up tonight to take me to the burrow”

I rolled my eyes. It was nice for some to leave for a nice family. I went back to my book and muttered “See you in September then.”

“I doubt he’s actually coming” Potter continued “I’ve only been here two weeks. Normally I’m here at least until my birthday”

“You think Dumbledore has blatantly lied to you?’ I said, unimpressed.

“Well no…”

“Pack your fucking bag, Potter”

Surprisingly Potter obeyed.

after a while of silence he commented “You could come with me you know. I’m sure Dumbledore would let you”

I didn’t bother answering. He already knew my answer.

At ten minutes to eleven Potter was pacing the room “I know he’s not going to be here” He said for the fourth time.

Placing my wand in the waistline of my pyjama trousers I began looking around the room for anything that was obviously mine. “Well, when Dumbledore doesn’t come, don’t tell him I’m here." I picked up the robes I had arrived in and the more advanced books in my collection.

“What are you doing?” Potter asked as I began to open the door.

“Hiding” I replied. I walked across the hall, just missing the lights going out outside, and knocked on one of the doors.

“Come in” Dudley called and I poked my head in the door. The room was nicer then Potter’s. It was less cluttered with junk but still full of nicknacks and photographs. My mother would call it insufferable but I found it charming.

“Can I hide in here?” I asked.

If Dudley was surprised he didn’t show it, instead simply replied easily “Sure.”

I went in and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. “The headmaster is coming to pick Potter up and i don’t want him to know i’m here” I explained.

“Why not?”

“He’ll probably try and make me join the war or something. Also he always calls me ‘my boy’ even when I tell him not to and I hold a grudge.”

Dudley nodded and scooted over on his bed so that there was a space “Do you want to sit down?”

I nodded gratefully. “What are you reading?”

“My chemistry notes” Dudley sighed helplessly “I don’t think I did very well in my gcses so I’m trying to get a head start for next year so that they don’t kick me out of the course”

I paused. “What’s chemistry?”

Dudley then spent twenty minutes explaining the basics of chemistry, by the end I was babbling on happily about how it could link up with magical theory.

Then Potter opened the door. He looked questionally at us “Malfoy, are you sure you don’t want to tell Dumbledore you’re here?”

“No” I said at the same time Dudley said:

“They’re fine here, Harry”

“He can’t stay here forever” He huffed “He’ll be safer with Dumbledore”

“I’ll keep them safe” Dudley said immediately. Potter eyed us both then shook his head and walked out.

“Do you really mean that?” I asked.

“Well” He blushed “You can probably defend yourself better with magic but I took up boxing last year and well, I’ve been focusing on it a lot more after those magic things tried to kill me”

“What tried to kill you?”

“I don’t know, it was invisible and it made me dizzy but Harry conjured this white deer that chased it away”

What could that be? There aren’t many invisible beasts - perhaps a poltergeist? But a white deer chased it away… Then it hit me! A patronus chased it away - it being a dementor! Dudley was attacked by a dementor, the foulest creature that lives on this earth, only deemed able to be around criminals.

“You were attacked by a Dementor! Oh Dudley that’s awful! Dementors are the most horrible beasts in the wizarding world!"

“It was pretty horrible.” Dudley agreed “I spent a few weeks feeling sorry for myself but then I realised that if I had died then I would have died a horrible person. So I focused on channeling by aggression into boxing and making better friends and stuff.” He paused for a second before saying quickly “I also accept that I’m bisexual. I haven’t really told anyone - except you now - but I’ve accepted it myself which I think is enough”

I smiled and rubbed his arm gently but secretly felt guilty. Here was Dudley going on a journey of redemption and what had I been doing all year?“That’s really great Dudley. I guess I should take a leaf out of your book. I’ve been a bully too, but I’ve left my family now so I should become a new person I think”

Dudley just smiled. I smiled back. I noticed how dark brown his eyes were. It was strange, everyone in Slytherin all boasted about their piercing blue eyes _‘so magical, so pure, not a mud blood brown’_ but Dudleys dark eyes were more magical than theirs could ever be. They made it feel like he was looking into my soul. I was getting completely lost in them. I leant into his side slightly and felt the warmth of his body against mine. Who new something so simple could be so nice?

The chatter was subdued after that but I stayed long after Potter and Dumbledore had left.

“Goodnight, Dudley” I whispered before leaving.

“Sweet dreams, Draco”

The next morning I woke up late as I had finally had the luxury of a bed but then realised I had a bit of a problem - _not that kind of problem_. Potter had taken all of his clothes and only left me with the night clothes I was wearing that day and the clothes I had escaped in.

So I walked across the hall.

“Come in” Dudley called straight away.

“Hello” I greeted, blushing slightly, remembering how I had snuggled up to the boy in my tired state last night. “Can I borrow some of your clothes? I was sharing Potter’s but he took it all with him.”

“Yeah sure help yourself” He said gesturing to his wardrobe.

I looked through his clothes. Most of it was horribly plane like Potter’s but I kept looking. It’s a good thing I did because right at the back was a beautiful black and silver suit. I pulled it out “Can i wear this?”

“I wore that to a wedding” He said though I could not see how that was relevant.

“So can I?” I asked.

He laughed heartily “Of course if you want to”

I smiled and took the suit to my room. I’d never worn a suit before but it wasn’t too different to my robes just with a few less layers.

I walked back into Dudley’s room to show it off. “Don’t laugh, I just need to go out to adjust it to fit me”

Dudley looked at me with wide eyes. I looked down to see if there was something garish on the front or something but seeing nothing out of the ordinary I asked if it was that horrible on me.

“No!” I said hastily “No you look... stunning”

I’m sure my face lit up like a lumos charm then. “Do you want to come with me? Outside?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could because really I was still terrified of being outside.

“Yeah, come on.” He grinned.

We left without Dudley’s parents noticing and walked around the corner to an alley. I took out my mother’s wand to do a couple of tailoring charms.

“How do I look?”

“Even more beautiful. We should probably go out and buy you some new clothes though”

My smile dropped “I don’t have any money.” I probably still had money in Gringotts even if my father cut me off from the main account - as I had set up a separate account myself a few years ago. But going into Diagon Alley was something I definitely did not want to do anytime soon.

“And that’s why I stole dad’s credit card” Dudley took out the card and smirked at me. To be perfectly honest I had no clue what a credit card was but I wasn’t going to ruin his dramatic reveal now was I?

So we went to the shops and it was a bit scary at first but Dudley stood close to me and when our fingers brushed slightly and I felt that spark of magic it distracted me easily.

We went to a lot of shops, some of which i walked out straight away and a few that I stayed in for ages. I almost threw a fit when he suggested we go into a makeup shop.

“Come on, at least try it!” He insisted and pulled me inside by the hand - and there was no way I could get myself to let go.

“I’m telling you I have wonderful skin I do not need to cover it…” I trailed off as I looked around. On the walls there were pictures of people with bright colours around their eyes and on their lips - some had pictures on their cheeks and lines around their eyes with made them look… different. I knew at once I was wrong and Dudley was right - not that I ever told him that.

“Excuse me, can I help you?” A shop assistant with the name tag 'Jem, she/they' asked. They wore silvery shine above their eyes and stark dark emerald underneath.

“How do you do that to your eyes?” I asked and they chuckled sweetly and I noticed there were two tiny diamonds under their eyes too.

They took me through all the different colours I could put on my eyes and my lips, and sparkles and diamonds and pearls I could put anywhere on my face. They also showed me how I could make my face look more angular and masculine, or more round and feminine depending on my mood. They even managed to get Dudley to try eyeliner and coloured mascara which he ended up loving and made me stare into his dark brown eyes even more. Not that I was complaining at all - they are magnificent eyes.

When we got back to Privet Drive with our arms full of bags and we ran upstairs as quickly as we could. I hid in my room while Dudley washed all of his makeup off. I was sad to see it go but I understood - Mr and Mrs Dursley did not like anything abnormal which included boys in makeup. Still I couldn’t stop staring at him even without the makeup. Soon he had to go down for dinner and afterwards he came up with a plate of food for me and then we both tried on our outfits again. My favourite was a yellow velvet suit and corset especially when I gave the blazer to Dudley to wear with some of the nicer trousers. I loved the way we matched and the way neither of us changed until bed.

Maybe you’ve all realised this already but I would like to confirm that I had by now fallen in love with that boy Dudley Dursley. I think I fell in love in four quarters, the first that night at 2am, the second that night at 11 then the third was that wonderful day out. The fourth has yet to come in our story - but be patient we’re nearly there.

This started a routine of sorts. We would go out in our new clothes and stop in a cafe to do our makeup. Sometimes we’d stay talking in the cafes for hours, sometimes we’d go for walks in the park, sometimes we’d go to the cinema or bowling or even crazy golf.

My favourite days were when we’d go dancing. Who knew muggles had such good music? And the way they manipulated the lights without magic? It was incredible. What made it great was nothing to do with the press of Dudley’s soft chest against mine or the way I’d look up and see that out of all the people he was looking at me and only me. I promise.

Luckily we weren’t out dancing the day they found me.

It was mid august - a whole month after Potter had left - and the sun was still shining brightly though it was 9pm by now. We were walking down a quiet street on our way home, I can’t remember what we were talking about but I remember we were smiling and Dudley’s hair was getting long so he had to brush it out of his eyes all the time. The sky was a pretty orange that matched my eyeshadow and I was wearing that suit I’d found in the back of Dudley’s wardrobe all those weeks ago.

Then there was the telltale sound of apparition. I had my wand out immediately as Dudley stood in front of me instinctively. Two death eaters walked towards us.

“Go away” I growled.

The taller of the two chuckled in a high demented laugh while the other sneered. “Your father has been missing you terribly, Draco.”

“Go away” I repeated.

“Not without you”

“They’re not going anywhere” Dudley spat.

“Oooh, ikkle Draco’s got a muggle boyfriend.” The taller mocked and at once I realised it was Aunt Bella and I knew then that we were doomed “Sorry dear but there’s nothing you can do to stop us. _Avada-_ “

“Stupify” I interrupted in time. Unfortunately she began attacking me without mercy. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dudley dive at the other death eater. Dudley snatched their wand and snapped it in half. Then punched them right in the nose.

Soon the death eater was pummelled into the ground while Bella and I danced around each other only occasionally catching eachother out. Finally Bella backed away.

“We’ll be back for you, traitor!” She spat and grabbed the other Death Eater as she apparated away.

“Dudley!” I shouted, tears running down my face already “They was trying to kill you! Fuck you could have died! One spell and you’d be dead!”

Dudley wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair. His cheeks were wet too and we both sobbed in the middle of the street.

“Dudley...” I whispered once we'd both calmed down a bit. I looked up into his eyes. Those dark mesmerising eyes and knew there was one thing I would regret not doing if either of us had died. “Kiss me?”

Dudley leaned forwards and touched his lips to mine. It was slow and brilliant. It was like he was savouring each touch for later and I loved it. It was then that I knew I had fallen utterly and completely in love with Dudley Dursley even if the kiss was a bit salty and snotty from the crying. I pulled away still stroking his soft cheeks.

“We need to go. They could come back”

Dudley nodded and pulled me up to my feet.

There I took out my wand again. I thought of Dudleys lips on mine, the music they play in my favourite muggle cafe, his laugh, the lilac of my favourite shirt, his eyes, his smile, my name in his mouth, him, him, him...

“ _Expecto Patronum_ ”

A small amount of white mist formed and my heart dropped as I thought I hadn’t succeeded. But then I saw that it had actually formed into the most beautiful asymmetrical butterfly with one yellow wing and one green.

“It’s a chimera butterfly” Dudley whispered in awe “We did them in biology, it has two different wings because it’s both male and female”

The butterfly flew around and landed on Dudley’s finger.

“Send a message to Harry Potter” I told it “Tell him that we were attacked by two Death Eaters, one of which was Bellatrix Lestrange, three streets down from Privet Drive. We’re fine, no emergency but you might want someone to check if they show up again.”

With that the butterfly flew gracefully away.

Dudley held onto my arm and said softly “Let’s go home.”

So we did, but alas there was something bad waiting for us there too. We opened the front door and began to creep down the corridor. "Dudley!" The angry voice of Vernon Dursley echoed through the house. We both froze.

"Dad?" Dudley called, his voice wavering. 

Mr. Dursley stepped out of the kitchen and stood in front of us. Behind him was a crying Mrs. Dursley.

"You!" Mr. Dursley pointed a grubby finger at me. "You come into my house and cast magic spells on me then you _seduce_ my son and turn him into a _queer_ like you!" He spat and I felt the colour drain from my face. At times like these I wished I was a Gryffindor so that I could tell him off for speaking to me and my love like that. But all I could do was stare.

"They didn't do anything to me" Dudley insisted.

"He's put you under a ruddy magic spell! My son wouldn't be gallivanting around in makeup otherwise!"

"Dudley..." I whispered "I swear I never-"

"I know" He interrupted and gave my hand a squeeze. He turned back to his parents and I saw tears spill silently down his cheeks "Dad, Mum. I'm bisexual. I always have been and I always will be"

Mrs. Dursley wept harder and Mr. Dursley screeched looked like he was going to explode. "GET OUT! I WON'T HAVE ANY QUEERS UNDER MY ROOF!"

I felt Dudley tense next to me.

His hands begin to shake.

I took a deep breath.

I couldn't let this happen.

"Mr and Mrs Dursley you are correct." My voice cracked "I spelled your son-"

_"Draco don't-"_ Dudley choked out.

"I spelled your son to fall in love with me. I will pack my things and leave and in a few days he will be back to normal"

Dudley shook his head and sobbed " _They're lying!_ "

I pulled him into a hug and whispered into his ear. "You can't leave here, Dudley. I can go to Dumbledore and everything will be fine. You'll be safe here until you save up for a place of your own."

Dudley held onto me so tight I almost couldn't breath but gods I never wanted him to let go. "Take me with you."

"I can't," I whispered "I'm so sorry."

Wherever Potter and Dumbledore they would never let a muggle in, nowhere in the wizarding world would.

"Come back for me" He pleaded. "Come back for me when you can."

"I promise" I said and I meant it. Whatever it took, if I had to win the whole fucking war first I would.

I let go of him and Mr. Dursley glared at me the whole way up the stairs. I packed my things and tried not to cry which was impossible when everything I owned connected me to Dudley.

I lugged my trunk down the stairs and out the door. I stopped outside the border of the house and looked back. Dudley stood outside of the door, his eyes red and his hands still trembling. Mr. Dursley's hand was rested protectively on Dudley's shoulder.

I summoned my patronus and told it to go to fetch Dumbledore for me. It was hardly a minute before the elderly wizard was there, he held out his arm for me without a word.

"Draco!" I heard a shout from behind me.

I turned and saw Dudley run towards me and he kissed me. It was just like the first time, desperate and slow, saving every touch for later.

All I saw as I was side-apparated away was Dudley being pulled away by his father, his dark brown eyes still boring into mine.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> I had so much fun writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it!!  
> Tell me what you thought of it in the comments!  
> I might write a sequel if y'all liked it...
> 
> Have a nice day :D


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